The Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, Gilad Erdán, today praised the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, for his announcement that he will sanction the Airbnb house rental portal by excluding the homes of Jewish colonies in the occupied West Bank from his list.
“This is an important decision that will strengthen the fight against anti-Semitic organizations” that promote the boycott of Israel, Erdán said in a statement.
De Santis, who took over last week as Florida’s 46th governor, argued that Airbnb’s policy may be in violation of a state law that prohibits Florida from doing business with companies that boycott Israel.
The minister added that he will continue to act “in all possible ways to nullify the intolerant decision that discriminates against the citizens of the State of Israel and harms them financially for the place where they live.”
Last November, Airbnb announced its decision to remove from its list the accommodation located in colonies in the Palestinian territories, a decision that generated much controversy in Israel.
At the time, the Minister of Justice, Ayelet Shaked, asked the state attorney general to assess the demand of the company to consider that his decision went against the law of Prohibition of Discrimination of Products, Services and Entry into Public Places and Entertainment .
An Israeli landlord who rented her apartment through this platform filed a class action lawsuit against the company considering that her decision involved “severe discrimination” based on “the place of residence, the country of origin and the opinion.”
In December, representatives of the Israeli settlers asked Airbnb’s Head of Public Policy and Affairs, Chris Lehane, to reconsider his decision, in a meeting with him in the industrial zone of Barkan, in the occupied West Bank.
Resolution 2334 of the UN Security Council, adopted in 2016, like previous resolutions, considers that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory violate international law. (EFEUSA) .-
